The Heart of Yoga

In this week’s episode we are joined by the eternal warm love presence of Durga Julia Sánchez, musician, yogini, and inspiration. Durga speaks to us from her home country of Colombia of her extraordinary heart-connection with her beloved teacher and husband Ramgiri, and the immense process of courage that is calling us all to open our heart to one another. And of the heart-wrenching process of grief that we must go through when that love transitions from in the body to the formless, as it will for us all. And the role of Yoga in all of this, in the life of a devotee. Gratitude to you, Durga, for this gift of clarity and honesty from within that grieving process of ‘losing’ one’s Beloved and navigating that pain. We feel and invoke the blessing presence of Baba Neem Karoli Baba (Maharajji), guru to Ram Dass, Ram Giri, Krishna Das and so many others. Mark and Durga discuss how Yoga serves the devotees of such extraordinary beings, as the practical response to grace, and to conduct their gifts… which are always given, but are they being received? And reflect on past times sharing Yoga with Ramgiri and Durga in the US and the connection with the work of Heartsourcing, the enduring project of Ram Giri’s work which is now continued by Durga. Learn more about Ramgiri’s lifework in his book, “HeartSourcing”, foreword by Ram Das, which Durga is currently working on translating to make available in Spanish. https://store.lamafoundation.org/products/heartsourcing-by-ramgiri-braun-ph-d https://www.facebook.com/HeartSourcing/ “All conflict is in truth a burning away of conflict itself. Pain makes us tired of pain, and although the confused mind revels in its distortions, there is a fundamental sanity in everyone that bides its time, but will not be denied.” — Ramgiri, 2018 Private whole-body prayer yoga lessons via Zoom in Spanish — email juliamsanchez@gmail.com for availability. Subscribe to this podcast for new episodes here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS/XML If you feel moved to submit a question for a future episode, you can do so here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/podcast You can find more from the Heart of Yoga on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

In this episode, Mark sits down (over Zoom) with his dear long-time friend Ana Berry: musician, media presenter, actress, Yoga teacher and mother. Ana describes growing up in Oklahoma and the saving influence of jazz and gospel, and the imprint of culture upon her mother as a beauty queen and TV personality. From Hollywood to New York, her search for Yoga that didn’t just exacerbate body self-hatred culminated in meeting Mark in a class in LA, followed by initiation into the ancient roots of Yoga with Mark at the Kumbh Mela in India. What does Yoga look like when taken out of these deep usual patterns of “I’m not good enough, I need to be skinnier / fitter / stronger / younger / smoother / more flexible / happier / better”? What is missing from the vast majority of Yoga classes in terms of NOT breaking these social patterns? Ana tells the story of becoming a mother and embracing the unexpected twists and turns of life — how when it doesn’t go to plan, sometimes it goes better. Yogis are not made on assembly lines — what does it look like to be a genuine teacher and practitioner in Oklahoma? What does it look like to release the mind’s plans, and embrace the unexpected? And the thing that everyone needs to know, how do we communicate Yoga to our partners, and why is that so important? Ana Berry Yoga Teacher, Singer, Mantrika and co-owner of the Bhakti House, Tulsa IG and FB: @wholebodyprayer Video version on YouTube Encounters at the Kumbha Mela with Mark Whitwell: Bali moments Subscribe to this podcast for new episodes here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS/XML If you feel moved to submit a question for a future episode, you can do so here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/podcast You can find more from the Heart of Yoga on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

A special edition of the Heart of Yoga podcast as Melissa Forbes speaks about her life as an artist and Yoga practitioner and her friendship with UG Krishnamurti. How do we describe him? It’s difficult, but with love and gratitude, delight and humour, Melissa and Mark reminisce about their unusual friend - Melissa travelled with UG for the last five years of his life as his companion and “balance.” She speaks about the power of art to help people use their right brain instead of the dominant left-brain, her obsession with spirals as the form of the cosmos and UGs resolution of this, and how he changed her Yoga from strenuous Astanga style to fluid participation in the spirals. Learn more about The Heart of Yoga Online Studio and join us here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/studio Subscribe to this podcast for new episodes here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS/XML If you feel moved to submit a question for a future episode, you can do so here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/podcast You can find more from the Heart of Yoga on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

These interviews are useful because they describe how many different kinds of people receive Yoga and make use of Yoga, and how Yoga is functioning in their personal and unique lives. “Yogis are not made on assembly lines.” In this episode, Mark speaks with Frederic Ballario, his long-time friend, on his process of discovering the breath and the Yoga of wine and Tea. Frederic describes moving from Champagne, France to California, USA, many years ago and searching for the truth in wine. Frederic is a master of Tea and Wine, and he explains how these ancient arts have been purified and made useful in the context of Yoga understanding and practice. What do our sacred substances look like when we remove the cultural habit of looking for stimulation? What is the role of wine if we already have a quiet mind, and are not looking to calm or subdue ourselves? What does shamanic use of alcohol look like? How does a teacher encourage each person to become themselves, not duplicate the teacher? Do we even need a teacher? What is the role of Yoga in coping with deep grief? How do we relate to these vast beautiful ancient traditions? Are they static? Are we part of them, or consumers of them? Reflections on the ability to receive and how it transforms our lives. And finally Frederic reflects on offering silent Tea ceremonies over Zoom during the pandemic, followed by very human conversations and connections. Join one of these ceremonies inside the Heart of Yoga studio https://www.heartofyoga.com/studio (launching Sunday 31st Jan 2021) or through Frederic’s IG: @liquidsungod   Subscribe to this podcast for new episodes here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS/XML If you feel moved to submit a question for a future episode, you can do so here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/podcast You can find more from the Heart of Yoga on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.  

In this episode, Susan Swan and Mark Whitwell talk about Susan’s experience as a Yoga teacher, including suffering a stroke and continuing to teach while rehabilitating. Susan speaks about recovering language through breath, swearing and the sound of OM, coming face to face with the reality that we live one breath at a time, and teaching yoga in hospital to help other patients recover. Together, long-time friends Mark and Susan discuss the inevitable decline of the body, finding contentment despite it all, the pain of facing judgement and abandonment, and some possible positive outcomes from the impact of the pandemic on yoga teaching. They also discuss what kept Susan going as a teacher during the most difficult times, and meetings with UG Krishnamurti. We hope you enjoy the bhav of this friendship.   Links More information on aphasia and on Susan's aphasia book club mentioned: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-aphasia-book-club/ Ram Dass on bodily decline - “It’s like taking off a tight shoe” Susan on gratitude — “It was a day. A day of my life. I’m fine. I was fine the whole time,” she says. “If you have something that life serves up, you have a choice to say, hey, there is a blessing in here. How is it going to serve me and not impede me?” https://www.latimes.com/health/la-xpm-2012-nov-17-la-he-gratitude-20121117-story.html https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/yoga-teacher-susan-swan-is-photographed-at-her-los-angeles-news-photo/564012471   Subscribe to this podcast for new episodes here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS/XML If you feel moved to submit a question for a future episode, you can do so here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/podcast You can find more from the Heart of Yoga on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

In this Part 2 (you don't need to listen to part 1 first!) of God and Sex discussion, Mark and Rosalind talk about: Why we need both strength and receptivity How we develop receptivity via our asana Why we must address the denial of the feminine and put a spotlight on sex as a topic rather than avoid it How a Yoga practice is the context in which we become receptive in relationship with another How sex and intimate relationships are a direct participation of Mother Nature's grand plan But do you have to be in an intimate relationship to have a good spiritual life? Is polarity the same as attraction or sexual "chemistry"? How yoga helps us develop the discernment of the 3 L-s: who we Like, Love, and Lust What asana does to actually release the drama out of your relationships Beauty as an inherent feature of every person Why you'll suffer if you seek God… or a boyfriend or girlfriend, for that matter The importance of receptivity in the body in order for sexual energy to flow and not just come out as a stress release Why the concept of “the two becoming one” is a degradation of Tantra Actually, do we even need to talk about sex? Subscribe to this podcast for new episodes here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS/XML If you feel moved to submit a question for a future episode, you can do so here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/podcast You can find more from Mark and the Heart of Yoga on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

In this episode Rosalind grills Mark on the promises made by the Yoga tradition, Yogananda’s classic ‘Autobiography of a Yogi,’ the lust for superpowers and supernatural experience and how it affects everyone, and what Mark’s favourite superpower is. What are siddhis anyway? What is the "psychic greed" that we may be numbed into by culture? Understanding spiritual promises as the axiom of modern society Mark talks about Gurus and miracle-makers he met in India and his response "Autobiography of a Yogi": truth or fiction? The transformational power of despair. How the yoga teacher extracts life-denying hopes and fantasies like the pulling of teeth. How can it be true that "All is one" when there are so many contradictory things and beliefs in the world? Siddhis as a marketing technique for spiritual business people Does belief in "mind over matter" deny science? UG Krishnamurti: forget about it, you’re not qualified, give up now. Are we tired of years of struggle in linear programs of "spiritual self-improvement"? The relieving "post-surgical" effects of yoga practice and realizing life itself Subscribe to this podcast for new episodes here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS/XML If you feel moved to submit a question for a future episode, you can do so here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/podcast You can find more from Mark and the Heart of Yoga on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

“Dear friends, I was born in the spring of ‘54 to a farmer father and school teacher mother. Both of them children of homesteader parents. After grade 12 , in 72/‘73, I backpacked and worked through Europe and Northern Africa for nearly nine months. Returning home I began farming and attending an agricultural college receiving a diploma in Ag Production. I bought my first land when I was 18, and have been making a living raising crops and cattle ever since. I married well in ‘81 and together we have raised three children. I had the opportunity to volunteer in Africa for three winters in the last ten years. Leadership education in Uganda and water filters in Malawi. I became concerned about small aches and tightness due to a lot of physical work. Yoga was mentioned and I first tried it in about 2006 to loosen up. At that time there were no classes up here in the north so when we were visiting Maui I took a stab at it. I loved the feeling I got both physically and surprisingly mentally. I wanted to immerse and continue so I looked up a retreat and found the Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana. I studied under very good teachers there. It expanded my connections and eventually I ended up in Ojai studying with more teachers, including Mark Whitwell who I returned to three more times, meeting at the Peppertree [J. Krishnamurti’s home in Ojai, now a retreat —ed.]. I am happy to now be on the board of directors at the Feathered Pipe foundation. Yoga has definitely helped me and I can’t imagine not having a daily morning practice that was initially developed by Mark and I’ll weave in something different every day depending what feels right. It allows me to keep farming in a sustainable nature both for myself and for the farm. We have to look after ourselves so we can look after the farm.” More info here.   Highlights What cows have to teach us about health and community Neil and Mark discuss the nature of learning Yoga within the context of real friendship What Neil got from studying yoga with Mark and how profoundly it changed his life Why no hierarchy is the basic condition for the teacher-student relationship What is “furniture disease”? Neil’s experience finding Yoga as a farmer in the far north of Canada How Mark ‘tricked’ Neil into a daily yoga practice The nurturing principle of life in farming and yoga Bringing Yoga to our own communities in language and ways that are relevant to them Who can teach yoga – and when?   Subscribe to this podcast for new episodes here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS/XML If you feel moved to submit a question for a future episode, you can do so here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/podcast You can find more from Mark and the Heart of Yoga on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.  

Sriram is my Gurubhai – brothers of the same teacher. He is particularly interesting to me in that he is indigenous to South India, born into the society and language of Krishnamacharya and Desikachar. Whereas I migrated into that culture and knew nothing of it in my early life. As a modern man in the West, Sriram is an extremely informed Yoga teacher who is able to communicate the nuance of the culture of our teachers in modern and useful ways. Sriram speaks of growing up in South India as a radical young explorer of life and his journey into Yoga — a riveting and a brilliant window into how radical Desikachar himself was, absolutely not a traditionally religious or conservative yoga school. And the inspiring story of his relationship with his German wife Anjali and move to Germany. R. Sriram has been working as a yoga teacher in Germany since 1988. In 1977 he began to systematically learn yoga with Śri TKV Desikachar in Chennai, his hometown - he received private and group lessons from him. Sriram also took private Ayurveda lessons with Dr. V. Narayanaswami and attended group lessons with Śri T. Krishnamacharya. For several years, Sriram taught under the guidance of Śri TKV Desikachar at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai Yoga and contributed to the development of the then young institute. The philosophical source texts of yoga, therapy with yoga, mantra yoga and yoga with children from mainstream and special schools were and are his focus. Thanks to his language skills and the support of his German wife, the Indian dancer Anjali, he has become an important link between east and west for many yoga practitioners. Since the nineties he has taught at many yoga training centers and universities and has brought many people closer to yoga in all its aspects in private lessons. With his therapeutic knowledge he was able to give many people the opportunity to find a new, healthy way of dealing with their complaints and illnesses. In this way, R. Sriram has been able to train many students to become well-founded yoga teachers over the years. These teachers offer yoga all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Sriram's childhood in South India and his introduction into spiritual life through music His involvement with radical Chennai theatre communities in the 1970s On meeting his wife, famous German-born Indian classical dancer Anjali Sriram, and the meeting of East and West Memories of J. Krishnamurti and TKV Desikachar and why Desikachar ignored his questions about spirituality Breaking out of cultural expectations and how Yoga helped resolve conflicts Reflections on the culture of the Mandiram community and those teaching and studying there Vedic chanting and the relationship with music Desikachar as “no more than a friend, no less than a friend” and his radical acceptance Dealing with the dreaded question – “What type of yoga do you teach?” Dealing with religious fears and prejudice over 30 years of working as a Yoga teacher in Germany, and how it has changed in that time. You can learn more and connect with Sriram on his: Website Facebook Instagram ________________________________ Subscribe to this podcast for new episodes here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS/XML If you feel moved to submit a question for a future episode, you can do so here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/podcast You can find more from Mark and the Heart of Yoga on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

Litiana returns to the podcast for part two of this conversation on how yoga helped her throw out colonial and religious legacies from her body and embrace her own indigeneity, and truly feel at home in her body. Mark and her discuss her experiences, her vision for teaching dissociated world leaders, and their shared relationship with the Indian High commissioner and her poetry honouring Fiji. “You can't change anybody until you love them first.” Her conflict between feeling at home, but never fully belonging to her own self Yoga as a process of belonging to yourself Stepping into your power amidst traditional indigenous and religious society How people reacted to her process of freedom — the labels, the family expectations, and the struggle Is it possible to be at peace with societal patterning? The undeveloped mind of humanity that assumes separation Feeling at home in the world and in our bodies wherever we go An indigenous perspective on healing the dysfunctional inheritance of colonialism Rethinking the meaning of “poverty” and “wealth”, and how we use this language Litiana's blend of yoga and activism and vision for teaching dissociated world leaders How Yoga transformed her Christian faith Meeting the Indian High Commissioner Padmaja on her last day of her diplomatic career in Fiji and translating her poem into Fijian Connect with Litiana @yoganesian on Instagram or Facebook, or practice with her and Mark inside our “Yoga for Activists” online course. Subscribe to this podcast for new episodes here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS/XML If you feel moved to submit a question for a future episode, you can do so here: https://www.heartofyoga.com/podcast You can find more from Mark and the Heart of Yoga on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.